California currently has four waivers that are open to children, including a newer waiver for developmental disabilities. All waivers are HCBS 1915(c) Medicaid waivers, and these programs waive parental income. For general information on California’s waivers, see this list of waivers.

California also offers a range of home and community based services to those already enrolled in Medicaid through a state plan 1915(i) program, including respite, environmental accessibility, vehicle modification, day programs, and therapies. It also has a Community First Choice program, allowing those already enrolled in Medicaid to receive personal care services.

California Advocacy Organizations:

Last updated 11/13/24

Programs in California

Also called Nursing Facility A/B Waiver; NF/AH Waiver

  • Target Population: Children and adults who are medically fragile or technology dependent. This waiver is designed to transfer individuals out of institutions, or prevent imminent institutionalization. Children under 21 receive priority enrollment.
  • Ages: all ages
  • Levels of Care: Intermediate Care Facility, Nursing Facility, Hospital
  • Income Waiver: Yes, the waiver is based on the child’s income only. Parent income is not counted.
  • Waiver Type: 1915(c)
  • Spots: 13,932
  • Expiration Date: 12/31/2027
  • Description from medicaid.gov: Provides case management, habilitation services, home respite, waiver personal care services, paramedical service, assistive technology, community transition services, comprehensive care management, continuous nursing and supportive services, developmentally disabled/continuous nursing care (DD/CNC) non-ventilator dependent services, DD/CNC- ventilator dependent services, environmental accessibility adaptations, facility respite, family/caregiver training, medical equipment operating expense, personal emergency response systems (PERS), PERS installation and testing, private duty nursing – including home health aide and shared services, and transitional case management services to individuals who are medically fragile or who are technology dependent ages 0 or older who meet a hospital, nursing facility, or ICF/IID level of care.
  • Online State Information: HCBA Waiver Page
  • Official Federal Information
  • How to Apply: Contact the Waiver Agency in your area to apply for the waiver.
  • Waiting List: California has 4490 people with physical disabilities on its waiting list and 4598 other individuals, primarily needing assistive living, on waiting lists.
  • Advocacy/Support Group: CA HCBA Waiver Support Group

Also called HCBS-DD Waiver

  • Target Population: Children and adults with developmental or intellectual disabilities, including autism.
  • Ages: all ages
  • Levels of Care: Intermediate Care Facility
  • Income Waiver: Yes, the waiver is based on the child’s income only. Parent income is not counted.
  • Waiver Type: 1915(c)
  • Spots: 179,000
  • Expiration Date: 12/31/2027
  • Description from medicaid.gov: Provides behavioral intervention services, community living arrangement services, day service, homemaker, prevocational services, respite care, supported employment, dental services, home health aide, occupational therapy, optometric/optician services, physical therapy, prescription lenses and frames, psychology services, speech/hearing and language services, financial management service, chore services, communication aides, community based adult services, community-based training service, environmental accessibility adaptations, family support services, family/ consumer training, housing access services, intensive transition services, non-medical transportation, nutritional consultation, personal emergency response systems, self-directed support services, skilled nursing, specialized medical equipment and supplies, transition/set up expenses, vehicle modifications and adaptations services to individuals with autism, intellectual disabilities, or developmental disabilities ages 0 or older who meet an ICF/IID level of care.
  • Online State Information: HCBS-DD Page or DDS Waiver Page
  • Official Federal Information
  • How to Apply: First apply for Medi-Cal. Then contact your Regional Center to apply for the waiver.
  • Waiting List: none
  • Target Population: Children and adults with developmental or intellectual disabilities, including autism.
  • Ages: all ages
  • Levels of Care: Intermediate Care Facility
  • Income Waiver: Yes, the waiver is based on the child’s income only. Parent income is not counted.
  • Waiver Type: 1915(c)
  • Spots: 5000
  • Expiration Date: 6/30/2026
  • Description from medicaid.gov: Provides community living supports, employment supports, homemaker, live-in caregiver, prevocational supports, respite services, acupuncture services, chiropractic service, dental services, home health aide, lenses and frames, occupational therapy, optometric/optician services, physical therapy, psychology services, speech, hearing and language services, financial management service, independent facilitator, behavioral intervention services, communication support, community integration supports, crisis intervention and support, environmental accessibility adaptations, family support services, family/consumer training, housing access supports, individual training and education, massage therapy, non-medical transportation, nutritional consultation, participant-directed goods and services, personal emergency response systems, skilled nursing, specialized medical equipment and supplies, technology, training and counseling services for unpaid caregivers, transition/set up expenses: other service, and vehicle modifications and adaptations services to individuals with autism, intellectual disabilities, or developmental disabilities ages 0 or older who meet an ICF/IID level of care.
  • Online State Information: Self-Determination Program
  • Official Federal Information
  • How to Apply: Talk to your Regional Center about enrolling. Then attend an orientation training.
  • Waiting List: none

Formerly called Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Waiver or HIV/AIDS Waiver

  • Target Population: Children and adults with mid to late stage HIV/AIDS.
  • Ages: all ages
  • Levels of Care: Nursing Facility, Hospital
  • Income Waiver: Yes, the waiver is based on the child’s income only. Parent income is not counted.
  • Waiver Type: 1915(c)
  • Spots: 1948
  • Expiration Date: 12/31/2027
  • Description from medicaid.gov: Provides enhanced case management, homemaker, skilled nursing (licensed vocational nurse), skilled nursing (registered nurse), attendant care, home-delivered meals/nutritional supplements, Medi-Cal supplements for infants and children in foster care, minor physical adaptations to the home, non-medical transportation, nutritional counseling, psychotherapy, and specialized medical equipment and supplies to individuals with HIV/AIDS ages 0 or older who meet a hospital or nursing facility level of care.
  • Online State Information: HIV/AIDS Waiver Page or the AIDS office
  • Official Federal Information
  • How to Apply: First apply for Medi-Cal. Then contact the AIDS office to apply for the waiver.
  • Waiting List: California has 4490 people with physical disabilities on its waiting list and 4598 other individuals on waiting lists.

Additional Information

  • Parents (and other family members or friends) can be paid for personal care services only through the In-Home Support Services (IHSS) program through a 1915(j) waiver.
  • Parents/guardians who are nurses can also be paid for RN, LPN, or LVN care for their own children through the state Medicaid plan.
  • In the Home and Community Based Alternatives program, legally responsible individuals, including parents and guardians of minors, may be paid for waiver personal care services (WPCS) or paramedical services. Another designee must sign timesheets. The following conditions must be met, as outlined in the waiver application approved 3/2023:
    • The legally-responsible adult quit a full-time job or can’t get a full-time job because they must care for the disabled participant, AND
    • If no other suitable care provider is available (willing and able), AND
    • If services are not received, the participant will be at risk of out-of-home placement or inadequate care.
  • California also has a Family Certified Home Health Aide program that allows parents to be paid for unskilled tasked in the Home and Community Based Alternatives waiver.